No. 18
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
April 30 – May 6, 2015
w w w . a s s o c i a t e d n e w s p a p e r s . n e t
Current Wayne Mayor
James Hawley has chosen
not to seek election to the
mayoral job he now holds
and may be resigning from
his city council post.
See page 4.
The Romulus Public
Library has planned pro-
grams concerning love, art
and computer instructions
during themonthofMay.
See page 4.
Trustee Bob Doroshewitz
questioned Treasurer Ron
Edwards' third no-bid pur-
chase in the last three
months at the meeting of the
trustees last week.
See page 5
.
As part of the celebration
student art month in
Northville, theNorthville Art
House will feature the 16th
annual juried Student Fine
Art Exhibit.
See page 5.
Former Van Buren
Township Fire Inspector
Anthony Karver has
demanded a jury trial in his
Whistleblower lawsuit
against the township.
See page 3.
Vol. 130, No. 18
Vol. 68, No. 18
Vol. 68, No. 18
Vol. 15, No. 18
Vol. 130, No. 18
Vol. 68, No. 18
Vol. 68, No. 18
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Cale Furney, a two-year
veteran of the force, has
been named the Westland
PoliceDepartment Officer of
theYear for 2014.
See page 4.
Canton Public Library
celebrated the contributions
of volunteers last week and
awarded 31 President's
Volunteer ServiceAwards.
See page 5.
Vol. 15, No. 16
Wayne
County
Commissioner Richard
LeBlanc,
State
Representative
Julie
Plawecki, and State Senator
David Knezek will hosting a
coffee hour May 11 in
Inkster.
See page 3.
Senator Hoon-Yung Hopgood
(D-Taylor) and Representative
Kristy Pagan (D-Canton) have
requested a public hearing by
the Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ) to
further address local concerns
about the potential disposal of
radioactive waste from
hydraulic fracturing operations
in Michigan landfills. Dozens of
concerned citizens attended a
DEQ presentation at a meeting
of the Van Buren Township
Board of trustees last week,
indicating the need for a hear-
ing for public comment.
The DEQ presentation con-
cerned the disposal of radioac-
tive fracking waste at Wayne
County Disposal facilities in the
township. The disposal compa-
ny is seeking permits to dispose
of radioactive waste which reg-
isters more than 10 times the
maximum levels allowed in
other states which have rejected
thewaste.
More than 50 concerned resi-
dents packed the meeting room
to hear the findings and recom-
mendations of the state and
members of the Technologically
Enhanced Naturally Occurring
Radioactive
Materials
(TENORM) Disposal Advisory
Panel. Many of the residents
stayed until late in the evening
to listen to the reports.
The presentation included
the findings of a panel appoint-
ed by Gov. Rick Snyder which
determined that the Van Buren
facility could handle even high-
er radioactivity levels without
risk. That report, issued in
February, allowed the landfill to
resume the disposal operations
of the waste. USEcology, owner
of the Wayne Disposal facility
between I-94 and Willow Run
Airport, voluntarily suspended
accepting low-activity radioac-
tive waste while the panel con-
vened.
“This was a great opportunity
for the community to hear about
the issue, but last night only
scratched the surface of the
thousands of local residents and
business owners who will be
affected. With the high turnout
last night, there is a clear need
for the DEQ to hold a true pub-
lic hearing to address local citi-
zens' questions and concerns,”
said Hopgood. “As other states
are tightening regulations and
turning away this radioactive
waste, why are some Michigan
officials so eager to roll out the
red carpet for it? The DEQmust
continue to engage local citi-
zens, answer questions like
The repaving and expansion
of Beck Road by Wayne County
is causing headaches for drivers
going to and from Plymouth
High School in Canton
Township, but it's a project that
has been long awaited and will
make traffic in the area much
more manageable when it's
done, according to a county
spokesman.
During the past weeks, the
county has worked closely with
Dr. Michael Meissen, Plymouth
Canton Community Schools
superintendent, and his staff to
minimize the traffic impact for
students, parents, staff and daily
commuters.
The project, which is expect-
ed to last about six months, was
started the week of April 20 and
could be complete before the
end of the 2015 construction sea-
son.
Beck is being repaved
between Warren Road in
Canton to just south of Ann
Arbor Trail in Plymouth
Township, and it will be expand-
ed from two lanes to three
between Warren and Ann Arbor
roads.
“We fully understand that this
is a temporary annoyance, but it
is necessary for the continued
growth and improvement of our
community,” said newly-
appointed Wayne County
Commissioner Joe Barone,
whose 10th District covers
Canton Township, Plymouth
Township and the city of
Plymouth. “Unfortunately, it had
to spill into a school year
because of the project's length.
The county wants to make sure
the project is done by this fall.
“Beck Road has long been in
need of repair, and we ask for
patience during this construc-
tion period. These short-term
delays will provide much-need-
ed long-term relief, especially
for PlymouthHigh traffic.”
Northbound Beck is closed
between Joy and Ann Arbor
roads in Plymouth Township.
Southbound Beck has one lane
open in that stretch, only open
to drivers trying to reach
See
Waste,
page 2
See
Chief,
page 3
See
Paving,
page 5
”
...Why are some Michigan
officials so eager to roll
out the red carpet for it?
Radioactive waste site prompts concern
Inkster
Police
Chief
resigns
Beck Road paving causes delays
Inkster Police Chief Vicki
Yost tendered her resignation
lastWednesday.
Yost, who had been chief for
about 9 months, came to Inkster
after a 19-year career with the
Detroit Police Department.
When she left the Detroit
department she was a deputy
chief overseeing the patrol divi-
sion in the city.
While Yost offered to give the
city 30-days notice of her depar-
ture, a release from the office of
City Manager Richard Marsh, Jr.
said that her resignation was
“effective immediately.”
Yost said that her decision
came following a meeting with
city officials on Wednesday that
demonstrated that they were
“not on the same page” as to the
management of the department
during the current situation.
“Today there was a meeting
that we weren't philosophically
and fundamentally in step on
how to heal the community and
how to move the community for-
ward,” she said. She declined to
offer any details.
Yost's departure came on the
heels of the dismissal of posses-
sion of cocaine charges against
Floyd Dent, a Detroit resident
who was arrested and charged
with drug possession, eluding
and fleeing and resisting arrest
by Inkster police Jan. 28.
Following the release of video-
tapes fromthe responding patrol
cars at the scene, which showed
Dent being viciously beaten,
kicked and tasered by officers,
the incident became a national
internet sensation.
The officer seen beating Dent
with his closed fist, William
Melendez, was fired by Inkster
and subsequently charged with
abuse of a prisoner and assault
with intent to do great bodily
harm less than murder by
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym
Worthy.
Worthy said in a prepared
statement that her office had
never seen the videotape of the
arrest as officers did not submit
the tape with the police reports
of the incident when they
Down to earth
Volunteer gardens aid area veteran’s groups
Vickie Miller and one of her many volunteers are working at the new garden at the UAW Hall on
Michigan Avenue in Wayne.
It took Vickie Miller nearly
10 years to follow her mother's
last wishes regarding the fami-
ly farm inBellevillewhere she
was raised.
But when the light finally
dawned on her, Miller said,
she knew exactly what she
needed to do at the 20-acres of
property her parents bought in
1965.
“Before my mother passed
in 1999, she told me she want-
ed me to do something with
the land to help others,”Miller
said. “Years went by and I was
taking care of my Dad who is
an 85-year-oldKoreanWar vet-
eran, and it finally came tome.
It was time to do something
and it should be something
that wouldhelp veterans.”
She met permaculture spe-
cialist Shane Celeste in 2013
and the ensuing conversation
about the importance of fresh-
ly-grown food helped her real-
ize that her land could provide
locally-raised fruits and veg-
etables for those who might
otherwise not have themavail-
able, especially veterans. She
and Celeste founded Eating
Gardens and then applied for
a Wayne County Food
Initiative Grant. Last
November the gardening
effort was awarded funding
for a 2,100 square-foot Hoop
House to be installed at the
Belleville Farm. The structure
is a covered gardening site,
warmed by the sun with con-
stant wind circulation.
“The ground stays warm,”
Miller said, “and you can grow
See
Gardens,
page 3
